Screen legend Rita Moreno has opened up about her relationship with Marlon Brando in a new interview with The Guardian.

Moreno, who is best known for her role in the 1961 film adaptation of West Side Story, revealed that she and Brando had a tumultuous eight-year relationship that began in 1953 when she was 21 years old.

Moreno described Brando as her “best lover ever” and praised his intelligence and sense of humor.

However, she also characterized him as a narcissist and said that the relationship was highly dysfunctional.

Moreno revealed that Brando made her have an abortion when she became pregnant, and that she tried to move on from him by dating Elvis Presley.

Despite Presley’s charms, Moreno said she couldn’t resist Brando and the pair continued their on-again, off-again relationship.

The relationship eventually took a toll on Moreno, who had a breakdown and attempted suicide at Brando’s home. She was saved by his assistant and finally managed to end the relationship.

“It wasn’t done for drama, that’s for sure,” says of her suicide attempt. “What I really wanted to do was kill the bad Rita who was always getting me in trouble, but it turned out if you’re going to kill the bad Rita, you’re also going to kill the good one.”

Despite the tumultuous nature of their relationship, Moreno and Brando went on to star opposite each other in The Night of the Following Day, which was a critical success.

Moreno, who is now 89 years old, has previously discussed her relationship with Brando in interviews.

In 2018, she told Wendy Williams that Brando was “the king of everything” and “one of the most sexual men on Earth.”

She told Wendy Williams, “He slayed me good. He was the king of everything. Eeeeeeverything.”

She continued, “He was the king of movies … he was really one of the most sexual men on Earth. It was one of those very tempestuous love affairs. It lasted eight years, on and off, on and off, on and off.”

She also praised his intelligence and sense of humor, but said that their relationship was tumultuous and difficult.

“He had a gorgeous intelligence,” she recalled. “He was the funniest person I’ve ever met in my life. He was not only famous, he was the king of sexy actors. [The sexual] part of it was incredible. That’s all I’ll say. No other details.”

Moreno’s new interview with The Guardian was conducted to promote her upcoming documentary biopic, Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It, as well as the upcoming remake of West Side Story.

Moreno, who won an Oscar for her role in the original film, said that the trauma of her relationship with Brando helped to drive her performance in the movie.

Despite the challenges she faced in her personal life, Moreno has enjoyed a successful career in the entertainment industry.

In addition to her Oscar, she has also won a Tony Award, an Emmy, and a Grammy.

She has appeared in numerous films and television shows over the years, and continues to work as an actress and singer.